46,271

Well... I made it. After months of training and despite a constant rain, I completed Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon -- 26.2 miles in 6 hours, 11 minutes and 32 seconds. That's a long time and about 4 hours behind the winning pace... but I was walking. My goal was to finish before everyone went home. A 15-minute mile pace seemed reasonable for a novice. So, I was surprised (& thrilled) to average a 14:11 mile. That's a pretty brisk pace, but my placing (3903) proved this race was a lot bigger than me. There were hundreds, including my old college roommate, behind me, yet having little, old ladies pass me was a gentle reminder not to get too full of myself.

I felt strong throughout the race. The rain was a little unnerving, but once I realized "soaked" is as wet as you can get, it quit being an issue. The major-league blisters I got on both heals from wet feet made the last 5 miles (& the next day or two) pretty miserable. But, hey, what's the big deal about a few battle scars -- I'm a marathoner!

That being said, I'm never going to do this again. I was in it for the experience, which was exciting, fun and humbling. I'd planned for the physical challenge, but the mental part was much tougher. Now that it's over (& I promise I won't keep babbling about it), here's what I've learned:

• Everybody has limits... they just aren't where you think they are. I really didn't think I could do this. We all make excuses because we don't want to fail. What's the big deal? Failure isn't fatal. Because I took the risk and pushed my limits, I discovered I'm capable of doing some pretty big things.
  
• I need a finish line. The training required huge blocks of time (which I'm glad to have back), and the only reason I was willing to commit that effort was the dream of crossing that finish line. That's all I thought about for 4 months. Winning is a huge motivator for me. Now, I need to figure out where the "finish lines" are in other areas of my life.
• Trust your training. I had a training plan that I followed. At times, I wondered how I'd ever get to where I needed to be in time for the race. But someone more experienced than me had already been there. By race day, I was confident and prepared. I need to look for people who've "been there" whenever I face challenges and not be too proud to lean into them.
• Protect your feet. The best purchase I made was a great pair of shoes. Your feet take a pounding when you're walking long distances. I wish they had been waterproof. There's a lesson in there about having a good foundation if you think about it.
• You can never get too much encouragement. There were strangers lining the course cheering for me all the way. My favorites were the old nuns with walkers & wheelchairs in front of the retirement home -- wearing pig noses! My wife and daughter (Team Sims) met me several places along the course & at the finish line. They were always beaming with pride, taking pictures and telling me how good I looked (liars!). Parkside's water station (mile 21) was the best. Familiar faces. A few surprised looks (that's Andy!). Lots of love. At one point, it occurred to me that the thousands of well-wishers along the course had been in the rain for hours also. What if I was that dedicated to encouragement every day?
  

Marathons are never finished in one, giant leap. It took me 46,271 steps to complete those 26.2 miles (yes, my ipod counted). I tried not to think about how many more were ahead or how much the last one hurt. One step at a time. It still amazes me how many steps I took from start to finish. No question about it -- the hardest was (and always is) the first step.